Pleasant Dreams
by Inubaby-909
Summary: Inuyasha hears Kagome whispering his name while in the midst of a pleasant dream and comes to the conclusion that she might like him more than a friend. He decides to suck it up and confront her but pride and false assumptions get in the way. InuKag


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Inuyasha, I just enjoy borrowing the characters and making them suffer.

**Summary:** Inuyasha hears Kagome whispering his name while in the midst of a pleasant dream and comes to the conclusion that she might like him more than a friend. He decides to suck it up and confront her but pride and false assumptions get in the way.

* * *

**Pleasant Dreams**

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* * *

**

Crickets chirped peacefully under the bright, glowing moon, casting a calming spell over the group of resting travelers. They were sprawled around the low campfire, all in deep slumber due to their rather exhausting day. All except for a lone member of the group, one who did not tire as easily as his human companions for he was not fully human. He sat on a thick branch overlooking his friends, dog ears twisting and twitching as they took in the late night sounds.

Inuyasha sighed quietly, turning to stare at the almost full moon as his long silver hair fluttered slightly in the soft breeze. A low moan from below caused him to roll golden eyes curiously down to the ground. They landed on the young girl sleeping at the base of the tree he was sitting in, a content smile gracing her pretty face. The girl giggled softly, clenching her sleeping bag with her small hands as her smile widened.

Inuyasha's face softened into a tiny smile as he watched the girl dream happily, inquisitively wondering what the girl was dreaming about to make her so joyful. Every night for the past week she would smile and laugh in her sleep, obviously having pleasant dreams, but in the morning, she would avoid him, acting as if she were mad at him. This behavior irked him; she had no right to be mad at him for doing nothing at all! Not to mention that it sort of hurt that she was giving him the cold shoulder… And when he tried to confront her about it, it normally ended with him being sat and her stomping away angrily.

He was broken away from his thoughts when the beautiful miko let out a pleased sigh, followed by a moaned word. Bolting upright, his ears twitching madly, Inuyasha stared down at the girl, eyebrows raised in surprise… If he didn't know better, he could've sworn—

"Inuyasha…" Kagome sighed again, turning over onto her side and falling into a deeper sleep.

Yup, there was no doubt about it: Kagome had said his name! He continued to stare at the girl in wonderment, hope creeping into his eyes as he contemplated what it meant.

* * *

"_Kagome, come play with me!" the young kitsune demanded, scampering ahead towards the field as his bushy fox tail waved happily. _

_Kagome laughed at his playfulness, quickly running to catch up to him. She entered the field, still laughing as she looked around for the little demon. Her laughter slowly died as she realized that she was alone in the field._

"_Shippo?" she called anxiously, her eyes frantically searching for his small form. "Shippo!"_

"_I sent him back to the others."_

_The familiar masculine voice came from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise before she turned to come face to face with her hanyou friend. He smirked at her jumpiness and started to walk towards her._

_Kagome relaxed, answering his smirk with a gentle smile. "Hey, Inuyasha."_

"_Keh," he snorted, stopping a few feet in front of her. "Hey yourself." _

_Kagome's smile widened at his typical answer before she plopped down abruptly onto the soft grass, staring up at the unnaturally beautiful sky. She sighed ecstatically and closed her eyes as the bright sun warmed her body, grinning as she felt Inuyasha move to lie down next to her on the grass. _

_She turned to meet his golden gaze, a gleeful look in her eyes. He returned her smile with a small one of his own. Whirling back to look at the sky, Kagome pointed at a fluffy cloud. _

"_That one looks like a dragon!" she exclaimed, giggling at her own childish antics. Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow in amusement and tilted his head slightly._

"_Hey… it kinda does!" Inuyasha agreed. Kagome beamed at his response. She continued to scan the skies, realizing that she hadn't been this content in awhile. _

_Abruptly, her view of the blue heavens was cut off by Inuyasha's face as he rolled practically on top of her. He smirked down at her, his golden eyes deepening to bright amber as his face came closer and closer. He stopped scant inches from her face, his breath brushing her lips every time he exhaled. A clawed hand gently cupped her cheek, stroking it with his thumb as his glazed eyes locked with hers. _

"_Inuyasha…" she murmured, seconds before his lips brushed hers gently. Her eyes drifted closed instinctively as the light pressure on her lips started to increase. She responded eagerly to the kiss, pressing closer to him. "Inuyasha…" she whispered against his warm lips before she felt herself slipping into peaceful darkness._

_

* * *

_

Kagome yawned tiredly, covering her mouth politely with the back of her hand as she trekked silently along the dirt path. Smiling at Shippo, who was animatedly reciting a story from his position beside her, she ignored the speculative glance Inuyasha sent her way. Ever since she had woken up that morning, she had been catching Inuyasha staring at her thoughtfully out of the corner of her eye, but every time she turned to look completely at him, he would already be looking off in another direction. Miffed by his strange behavior, she opted to just tune him out until he was ready to explain.

"…and then they lived happily ever after. The end!" Shippo crowed loudly, glowing proudly when Kagome applauded and praised him on his performance. Emboldened by Kagome's positive response, Shippo scurried forward to where Inuyasha was in front of the group. Leaping up onto the hanyou's shoulder, Shippo smiled excitedly as Inuyasha grunted in surprise at his sudden appearance. Inuyasha had been too preoccupied in his thoughts to realize that the baby fox had finished his tale.

"Inuyasha, how did you like my story?" Shippo asked eagerly, cocking his head questioningly to the side.

"Keh. Who says I actually listened to your story?" Inuyasha scoffed lightly, not really putting any effort in harassing the kid today. Shippo shrugged carelessly, used to much more biting remarks from the hanyou, and jumped down to the ground before heading back to Kagome who was now talking to Sango.

Inuyasha sighed lightly as he fell back into his thoughts, glancing briefly at the miko behind him. It didn't make any sense. Why would Kagome dream about him? And pleasant dreams too… Unless… maybe she liked him? No, it couldn't be. That was just wishful thinking on his part. Plus, even if she _did_ like him, it wasn't as if he was free to do anything about it… He was promised to Kikyo…

Ears drooping at the reminder, Inuyasha sighed again. A familiar clunk followed by the soft clinking of metal rings caused his white ears to perk up again as Miroku approached him. The two young men walked side by side, doused in silence as each waited for the other to speak first. Finally, Inuyasha broke the tense stillness.

"Oi, Bouzo…" Miroku looked up, turning his calm gaze onto the agitated hanyou.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" he questioned quietly, eyeing Inuyasha's fidgety aura as he peeked once again back at the miko behind them. Raising an eyebrow when the hanyou quickly turned around before Kagome could see him; he motioned for him to continue.

Inuyasha hesitated momentarily, unsure on how to start. Finally, he settled with the blunt route. "What… what does it mean when someone dreams about you…?"

Eyes widening at the unsuspected question, Miroku faltered slightly before carefully asking, "What kind of dreams?"

"I dunno! Uh… happy dreams!" Inuyasha shot another glance to Kagome before turning his attention back to the monk. Watching as the half demon looked quickly at Kagome again, Miroku grinned slowly as it clicked together in his mind.

"I see… and is this dreamer a boy or a girl?"

Inuyasha frowned warily at the monk, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "A girl…"

Miroku's grin widened and he nodded wisely. "Ah… There is only one reason a girl would have a pleasant dream about you." The monk paused dramatically before continuing. "She likes you!"

Inuyasha felt his heart skip a beat at Miroku's words. Kagome, actually _liked_ him?? Impossible! He had to be sure before he let himself get too ecstatic… And if it was true, he'd have to do something about Kikyo… Fighting back the wave of disappointment that came with her name, he nodded his thanks to Miroku before leaping in front of Kagome.

Kagome, unprepared for his sudden appearance, walked right into his chest. Bouncing back from the force of the impact, Kagome yelped as she began to fall, bracing herself for her inevitable meeting with the hard ground. Strong clawed hands reached forward rapidly, catching her gently and pulling her upright.

"Hey, what was that for…" Kagome's angry yell trailed off as she looked up into the unusually intense orbs of the hanyou before her. "Uh… what's wrong, Inuyasha?" Her voice was meek as she fidgeted self-consciously under his gaze.

"I need to talk to you, Kagome," he murmured, vaguely surprised by the hoarse tone of his voice. Spinning quickly, he headed off into the woods, glancing momentarily behind him to make sure the stunned miko was following him.

"What was that all about?" Sango asked curiously, staring at the spot where the two had entered the forest. Shippo shrugged from his position on her shoulder, signifying that he was just as clueless as Sango was. Miroku chuckled before walking off the path and settling down to make camp.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Where are you taking me?!" The loud inquiry was met with silence, causing Kagome to frown in annoyance. The stone-headed hanyou had been trampling his way through the underbrush for the past half-hour, barely sparing the confused girl a glance as he led them further and further into the forest. 

"If I didn't know better, I'd think that you were planning on murdering me and disposing of my corpse beneath a half-rotten log way out here where no one would find it…" she muttered darkly to herself, stumbling slightly over an exposed tree root.

A few feet ahead, Inuyasha trudged onwards, too distracted by his rampant thoughts to pay any heed to the young girl's mumbling.

"_Great job, Shithead! Now what are you gonna do? How the hell are you gonna start this conversation? 'Oi Kagome, you were talking in your sleep last night. Does that mean you like me?' Pfft! You're pathetic!"_

Inuyasha growled softly under his breath, irritated that his demon side wouldn't shut up for once.

"_My advice is to be assertive about it. Be confident, arrogant even. Don't show her that you're insecure. You _know_ that she likes you so there's no point in beating around the bush. Just claim what's rightfully yours! Play her until there's no way for her to deny it!"_

The inuhanyou blinked in surprise. That advice wasn't half bad. It actually sounded pretty good: he would barely infringe on his pride! Taking a deep breath, he shoved all his uncertainties into a tiny ball in the corner of his mind before spinning around abruptly to face Kagome with a familiar cocky smirk.

Kagome almost bumped into him again at his sudden stop, but managed to catch herself a foot before collision. Freezing instantly at the strange expression plastered onto the boy's face, she ignored the small tremor that shimmied down her spine. She swallowed audibly, waiting for Inuyasha to explain himself as she found herself unable to tear her gaze away from his darkened gold colored eyes.

"I know what you want, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, his deep voice husky as he stepped closer to the brunette, his arms coming up to gently rest on her hips. Blushing at his voice and proximity, Kagome rested her hands on his chest, using them as a physical barrier between them.

"R-really?" she stammered nervously, gulping hard as Inuyasha leaned down towards her ear, chuckling softly. He moved his hands from her hips, encircling her waist and pulling her even closer as she squeaked in surprise.

"Yeah," he murmured, so close to her that his warm breath brushed against her skin, causing her to shiver delightedly. "I know who you dream about every night…"

Kagome's face reddened considerably as embarrassment swept through her. 'Oh my God, he knows!' With the embarrassment came a small knot of indignation. 'Who did he think he was, playing with her like that?! Just because she liked him didn't give him a right to play with her emotions when he obviously didn't like her back!' Grasping on desperately to the strand of anger to keep her embarrassment and hurt at bay, she frowned up at him. "Oh, yeah??" she challenged crossly.

Inuyasha was too happy to catch on to her growing ire. He was finally sure that she liked him back, that she craved his touch as much as he craved hers. Relishing in her closeness, he smirked, oblivious to the annoyance that caused her blue orbs to flash. "Yup," he affirmed, resting his forehead on hers.

"Is that so? Care to tell me who this person is??" Kagome demanded, taking a step back so that his nearness wouldn't affect her as much. Inuyasha blinked in confusion as she backed away, his hands sliding to their previous spot on her hips as she glared at him. Uncertainty seeped into his confidence and he felt doubt begin to gnaw at his insides. Not wanting to lose control, he kept his smirk in place and attempted to act nonchalant.

"Why don't _you_ tell me?" he asked carefully, locking his amber eyes with her cerulean ones.

Kagome felt herself panic, but pushed it down and wrapped herself more firmly in her anger. She huffed, averting her gaze before growling irritably, "It's none of your business!"

"C'mon Kagome, you know you want to tell me…" Inuyasha persuaded softly, dying to confirm who he thought visited her every night in her dreams and caused pleasant smiles to form in her sleep.

Angry that Inuyasha was taking advantage of her weakness, she snapped the first thing that came to mind. "If you must know, it's Kouga!" Immediately she regretted saying it, but she ignored the guilt in favor of appeasing her pride.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Inuyasha stiffened, his smirk dropping from his face so fast that it almost made Kagome wonder if it was even there to begin with. His grip on her hips tightened painfully and his eyes widened in hurt shock before narrowing to angry slits.

"What?!" he snarled, his voice a dangerous rumble in his throat. He pinned the girl in front of him with an icy glare, watching through narrowed eyes as she dropped her gaze to the ground, seeming to suddenly lose her spunk. "You're lying!!" he hissed venomously, trying to shove the intense hurt and betrayal under his fury. His eyes flashed briefly red before going back to gold as his demon side demanded that he punish his bitch for thinking of another man. _'No!'_ his human side argued, _'You have no claim on her!'_ His grip on her hips further tightened, his sharp nails digging into her soft skin unconsciously as his human and demon sides warred. Kagome winced at the pain, instantly causing Inuyasha to break out of his thoughts and snatch his hands back as if he had scalded them.

Shooting one last glare at Kagome, he sprung into the trees, trying to get away so that he could vent his anger. And if that damned wolf demon just happened to cross his path tonight, he was going to teach him the true meaning of pain.

Kagome slumped to her knees, her eyes riveted to the spot that Inuyasha had been in mere moments before. As the anger disappeared, she realized that she had gone too far over such a small thing. "What have I done?" she whispered despairingly to the clearing, shivering as the violent wind shook the trees around her.

* * *

An indistinct red and white blur flew feverishly through the dense forest, the sounds of ferocious snarls and snapping wood echoing loudly in the otherwise silent woods. A trail of felled trees and decimated underbrush littered the forest floor, having fallen prey to the frustrated hanyou's furious claws. 

Leaping around with the agility and ferocity of an angered leopard, Inuyasha slashed through tree after tree, ignoring the deafening thuds of the timber crashing to the ground as he made his way unwittingly towards the Northern edge of the forest. Lighting softly onto the loamy earth, he gripped the hilt of his prized katana tightly before drawing it with a wordless cry of emotion. Transforming it instantly with a practiced flick of his wrist, the inuhanyou hefted the large blade over his head before smashing it viciously into the ground.

"Kaze no Kizu!!" he roared as the sword's attack swept through a large portion of trees, annihilating them immediately and leaving a gargantuan area of destruction in its wake. Heaving breathlessly, Inuyasha embedded Tetsusaiga into the supple soil near his feet, using it for support as he felt the betrayed anger ebbing slowly out of him after nearly an hour of venting. Collapsing suddenly to his knees, he clutched painfully at his chest when a wave of hopeless agony ripped to the very center of his soul.

He didn't understand why he felt so much pain. It didn't make any sense. He hadn't felt a tenth of what he felt now when Kikyo had shot him with her arrow. And technically, Kagome hadn't even done anything wrong. He had no claim on her. He was not her boyfriend. She was a free woman, allowed to dream and think about anybody she wanted. Feeling the familiar possessive jealousy seeping back, he allowed himself one small growl before pushing the emotion away.

He was so sure. _So_ sure that he was right this time. That someone's sincere care and affection was finally attainable. It was just his luck that it was nothing more than wishful thinking that brought his hopes soaring up, before hurtling back down when he lost her to his sworn _rival_ of all people. Grimacing painfully at the thought, he sighed dejectedly before continuing with his internal soliloquy. He should've known better than to even think that someone as pure as Kagome could ever care about him at all.

'_Shut up!! You know that Kagome cares about you! She's done so much for you!' _Pondering his human side's retort thoughtfully, Inuyasha felt his insides soften as he recalled her caring actions; her empathetic words; her nurturing touches; her loving smiles. Closing his eyes reverently, he mentally played back all of his most fond memories of her. Smiling gently, he sighed in resignation, grasping Tetsusaiga's hilt and levering himself back to his feet.

_You're right… she _does_ care for me. Maybe not the way I do for her, but it's better than nothing. _He silently sheathed his blade, brushing some of the debris from his red fire-rat haori. _All I want is for her to be happy. She deserves at very least that for everything she's done for me. And if that Wolf-shit is what it takes…_ He clenched his fist tightly, his claws digging into his palm and sending small rivulets of blood dripping down to the ground as a surge of despair washed over him. …_So be it._

Bowing his head so that his unruly bangs cloaked his golden eyes, Inuyasha stood motionless for a few moments as he breathed deeply to ease the ache in his chest. _For Kagome._

_

* * *

_

Sighing restlessly, Kouga struggled unsuccessfully to relax into the huge heap of furs that laid in the private chambers of his mountain den. He had wanted to continue searching for that accursed wind witch and her master, Naraku, but Hakkaku and Ginta had somehow persuaded him to return to the rest of the pack for a short reprieve.

Ignoring the cacophony of yips, barks and loud talking with the ease of long practice, the Wolf Prince delved deep into his thoughts and memories of how Kagura had slain a large portion of his pack before using their very bodies to attack him. Clenching his fist angrily, he restated his vow to avenge his fallen comrades with the deaths of the ones responsible.

"Kouga-sama!" Breaking out of his thoughts, Kouga fixed an expectant gaze on the wolf demon that had just barged in.

"What?"

"The lookouts reported that a large amount of ki was released a few miles south of the main caves. They were hesitant to send scouts without your approval due to the diminished number of our pack…" He trailed off, shifting meekly from foot to foot as he awaited his lord's answer.

Kouga grinned, hopping to his feet and stretching quickly. "I'll go myself," he announced as he hooked his katana onto his belt. "I need to get out of here anyway." Before the messenger could reply or rebuke in any way, Kouga sped off with a large cloud of dust billowing in his wake.

* * *

Kagome stared miserably into the low fire, her cold arms wrapped tightly around her bent knees as she waited fretfully for Inuyasha to return. She had attempted to follow him, but with her lack of tracking skills, she didn't get very far. After long moments of walking in circles, she had managed to stumble onto the camp that Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kirara had made and had resigned reluctantly. They had questioned her pale visage and the lack of an irate hanyou, but she had waved their concerns away with fake smiles and half hearted reassurances. Miroku and Sango hadn't bought a word of her act, but didn't comment; it wasn't their business and Kagome would tell them if it was important. 

Now, the campsite was silent save for the soft snores from the kitsune snuggled deep in her sleeping bag. Inuyasha's portion of dinner laid wrapped up in aluminum foil by the fire pit, causing the young miko to frown worriedly. Inuyasha _never_ missed dinner! Even if he was downright pissed at her, he would always jump down from his tree long enough to grab his food before disappearing again into the foliage.

_Well what do you expect, Stupid? I'm sure _you_ wouldn't come to dinner either if he told you he was having sinfully pleasant dreams about Kikyo! _Wincing, Kagome sank back into her depressive thoughts as she propped her chin on her knees. She couldn't help it! As soon as she had felt cornered, she had lashed out; doing everything she could to keep from being utterly humiliated. _But looks like I did the worst thing possible…_ She was aware that Inuyasha didn't care for her the way she wanted him to, but also knew that he couldn't stand the wolf demon being near her in any way. She still didn't understand why but just shrugged it off as a demon thing.

A sudden rustle behind her caused her to whip around anxiously, hoping that the subject of her thoughts had finally returned. Her prayers were answered as a brooding hanyou stepped into the campsite, pausing when he noticed the girl's relieved stare before averting his gaze and skirting carefully around her.

Flinching at his obvious avoidance of her, Kagome fought to shrug it off and explain everything to him before things got any worse. "Inuyasha, wait…" she called softly, reaching out towards him with a trembling hand just before he hopped into a tree. He stopped when her quiet voice reached his ears, keeping his back towards her as he waited mutely for what she had to say.

Taking his silence as an invitation to go on, she mustered her courage before starting. "Inuyasha… about my dreams with Kouga… they're--"

"Whatever. I get it." His rough voice cut her off abruptly, causing her to blink in surprise before trying again.

"No, wait! You don't under--"

"What's there to not understand? It's not any of my business, and frankly, I'm glad that it isn't."

Kagome remained silent for several beats, too stunned to do more than stare at the back of his head. She hadn't been expecting this at all. Anger: yes. The cold shoulder: definitely. But this _truthful_ carelessness: absolutely not. Was there even a point in humiliating herself if he didn't care…?

"S-so you don't mind th--" she stuttered.

"Nope."

"But then why did you get so… angry…?"

It was his turn to go silent, tilting his head to the side as if in contemplation. At long last, he just shrugged offhandedly, finally turning slightly to look at the confused miko by the fire.

"I guess I just hate the wolf." Kagome almost gasped when she saw his golden eyes. They were gazing at her with genuine sincerity and she felt her heart sink. _Guess he doesn't care after all…_ She didn't know what to say now. He _never_ didn't care! He might've _pretended_ to not care in the past, but he's never been honestly nonchalant! _Never say never…_

"But--"

"Look, Kagome…" he interrupted, turning back around and starting to walk away again. "It's late and we need to get up early tomorrow to look for that shard. I don't want you collapsing when I need you to tell me where the shard is so go to bed." With that last sentence, he hopped into the tree, making sure she couldn't see him before clenching his claws into the front of his haori and wishing that the ache would just go away.

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and cheery, and small birds twittered gaily to and fro beneath the warmth of the sun. The small group of travelers seemed entirely oblivious to the exceptionally beautiful day as they drudged wearily along a dirt path, making their way gradually towards a nearby town. 

Kagome brought up the rear of the group, eyes glued miserably to her dirty loafers as they dragged mechanically onwards. She was too drawn into her confused and hopeless thoughts to notice most of the obstacles in the bumpy road—despite the fact that her gaze was riveted to the ground—and ended up stumbling clumsily on numerous occasions.

Leading the traveling party was the dog-eared cause of the young miko's distress, also preoccupied with his thoughts. He marched absently towards the faint sounds and smells of the human village, his arms crossed and tucked into his billowing haori sleeves with a scowl firmly etched upon his handsome face. He emitted an obvious brooding aura and only spoke long enough to bark brusque orders at his group-mates. Except for Kagome, that is. He did not spare the despondent girl a fleeting glance, let alone direct communication.

Ironically, the said girl was flouncing merrily in Inuyasha's mind, paying absolutely no heed to the "watching" hanyou as she intertwined her small hand with a smug Kouga's before leaning up to place a heated kiss on the wolf demon's lips. Clenching his claws into his arms, Inuyasha blinked rapidly in an attempt to shake the image from his mind's eye, but only managed to fall into another equally disconcerting daydream.

The monk and the demon slayer, easily sensing the heavily tense atmosphere between the half demon and the priestess, kept wisely silent as they followed Inuyasha. Sango fought the urge to slap some sense into the two hopeless teens and instead petted Kirara who was perched on her shoulder. Seeing the frustrated stiffness of Sango's shoulders, Miroku offered her a reassuring smile as he shifted the drowsy kitsune from the crook of his right arm to his left shoulder. Sango hesitantly returned his smile, but frowned dangerously as she caught his gloved hand inches before it touched her bottom. Muttering darkly under her breath about perverted monks, she moved away only to be abruptly stopped when Miroku laced his fingers with hers.

Blushing profusely, she attempted to tug her hand out of his grip but to no avail. She glared up at him, her mouth opening to say something but was cut short by the pleading look hidden behind his relaxed expression. Fighting back the redness that threatened to overwhelm her face, she nodded slightly before relaxing by his side. Miroku smiled gently, squeezing Sango's hand in gratitude and was pleasantly surprised when she returned the gesture.

Kagome would have been ecstatic if she had detected her friends' actions, but at the time, she was too distraught and tired from staying up all night replaying Inuyasha's words in her mind to notice. _Inuyasha doesn't care. He doesn't care at all…_ Kagome felt so lost. Inuyasha _always_ cared! That was always what gave her an inkling of hope: the fact that he always got jealous when there was another boy in the picture. _Always_! Now, that tiny little flicker of hope was just about stomped dead, and she had never felt so depressed in her life.

She clutched her arms around herself protectively, swallowing with some difficulty the large lump that had lodged itself securely in her throat. _I will not cry. I will not cry. I will not cry._ Even as the mantra echoed in her mind, she felt her eyes filling up with salty tears. _I will _not_ cry!! _Rolling her eyes upwards, she blinked rapidly in an effort to quell the tears. Catching sight of Sango and Miroku's interlaced hands, she smiled half-heartedly. She was happy for them, she really was, but she couldn't help but feel a little bitter. Instantly feeling ashamed, she dropped her eyes back to the ground. It was completely unfair of her to feel that way when the houshi and tajiya both needed and deserved this.

_'You're really pathetic, you know?'_ Kagome ignored the voice, lowering her head even more so that her dark bangs covered her pained eyes. _'Letting a _boy_ do this to you…'_

"He's not just a boy, he's _Inuyasha_," she muttered aloud.

_'Pfft! So what? He's still just a stupid boy that played you for a fool. It's your own fault that you continued to fall for it. Every single time. How predictable.'_ Chuckling lightly at the fact that she was talking to herself ("Great, now I'm insane!"), she shook her head sadly and allowed herself to ask one last question.

"So what do I do?"

_'Ha! Life would be way too easy if people just told you how to do everything! You'll hafta figure it out yourself.'_ Kagome sighed dejectedly; even her conscience wouldn't give her a break. _Figures; when it rains, it pours. _

Suddenly, the slightly ticklish sensation of nearby jewel shards caused her to call for everyone's attention as she clumsily shifted into a defensive position. "Incoming, two jewel shards! At an exceptionally high spee—wait a sec! It's—"

"Me." Sango and Miroku relaxed, lowering their weapons as the familiar arrogant wolf demon whizzed into view. Kirara transformed back into her small form as Shippo nestled comfortably on Miroku's shoulder before gazing expectantly at Inuyasha; the entertainment was about to begin!

Inuyasha felt his hackles raise and a growl bubble in his throat as soon as he smelt the demon and was about to instinctively jump in front of Kagome to block her from the mangy wolf when he remembered his oath. _For Kagome_. Gritting his teeth, he managed to stifle the growl to a mere vibration but still had to grip tightly onto Tetsusaiga when the wolf grasped onto Kagome's hands. _For Kagome. For Kagome. For Kagome. _Glancing at Kagome, Inuyasha felt his mouth dry at the large, content smile on her face. A giant, beautiful smile that was directed entirely at _Wolf-Shit_! Closing his eyes briefly, Inuyasha chanted his mantra in his head and waited until he was under control before he opened them again.

Kagome smiled genuinely for the first time that day when Kouga appeared suddenly, a charming grin dashed across his handsome face and a playful twinkle in his eye as he addressed her with the air of a gallant knight. There was always something about Kouga that made her at ease; just in the way that he spoke to her, or the way that he would flash his pearly whites in a debonair smile, or maybe even in the way he stood: legs braced, back straight and confidence emanating from every pore. He was a bit on the flirty side, but that made him a great mood-picker-upper. _Oh, Kouga. If only I had fallen in love with you… _

"Hello, Kouga-kun," she greeted, pulling her hands gently from his. "What brings you out here?"

Kouga glanced around, raising an eyebrow surreptitiously at the hanyou who seemed to be resting his eyes instead of snarling in his face like he usually was. _Hmph. I guess I'll hafta try a bit harder this time…_ The wolf demon grinned affectionately down at her, being sure to raise his voice loud enough that it would be impossible for the hanyou to not hear.

"Do I ever need a reason to see my mate?" All eyes darted towards Inuyasha expectantly, but were disappointed when he barely twitched at all. Kagome smiled sadly as the others shot shocked glances at each other at Inuyasha's lack of response. _Guess that proves that._

Kouga, stunned and a bit confused, gave Kagome a questioning look but only got a half shrug in reply. Frowning slightly, the wolf demon decided to turn it up a notch and quickly slung an arm around the miko's waist before pulling her up against his chest. Training his super hearing onto the dog half demon, he was rewarded by a small growl that was quickly suppressed. _Aha! So it _does _still bother him! Now let's just see how far his control will go… _

Ignoring Kagome's soft spluttering, Kouga reached up with a gentle claw and traced the contours of her cheek. "Actually, I'm here 'cuz there was a large burst of ki near my home caves yesterday, and when I checked it out, an entire acre of the forest was completely decimated." The wolf stifled a smirk when the hanyou flinched.

"And what does that have to do with us?" Kagome questioned, fidgeting nervously when Kouga swept his hand into her thick hair, his claws lightly pricking her scalp. "Uh… Kouga-kun… what are yo—"

"The entire area reeked of Dog-Crap." Using Kagome's surprise to his advantage, Kouga tilted her head up and slowly lowered his. Kagome blushed at his closeness and tried to push him away but it was like trying to push a mountain. "I followed his scent here… worried that something had happened to my… Kagome…" As he spoke, his warm breath ghosted against her lips, his head looming closer and closer. Kagome froze as a feeling of déjà vu washed over her. Just as she was about to cry out, just as he was mere millimeters away from her, he paused, winking playfully before reaching down the rest of the way and claiming her lips in a chaste kiss.

Their lips were barely touching for a full second when Kouga was harshly ripped away from her, sending her toppling down to the ground on her bum from sudden lack of support. Looking up with a wince she gaped at the sight that met her eyes. A feral looking Inuyasha, his amber eyes tinted red despite Tetsusaiga's presence by his side, snarled viciously at a grinning Kouga sprawled against a crumbled boulder. Kouga was chuckling good-naturedly while Inuyasha was baring his fangs and brandishing his claws threateningly.

_The stupid wolf was _trying_ to make Inuyasha mad!_ she realized with a gasp. _Of all the idiotic…!_

"Kagome-chan! Are you alright?!" Kagome jumped, smiling reassuringly at the worried girl who clutched at her anxiously.

"Yes, Sango-chan. I'm quite alright," she replied with a small smile.

"But…" Sango trailed off hesitantly, glancing at the now brawling demons. "Kouga… he… he _kissed_ you!"

Kagome didn't reply right away, lifting a hand absently to press against her lips where Kouga's had barely touched. "I guess he did."

"You _guess_?" Sango asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Kagome grinned wryly. "He was pulled away rather fast for a real kiss, don't you think?" Sango giggled, nodding in agreement. Kagome sighed wearily, rubbing her temple as she watched Inuyasha attempt to hack the faster Kouga to pieces with Tetsusaiga. _I thought he didn't care… That's it! _I_ don't care anymore! I'm going to make sure this ends at last! _

Springing to her feet, Kagome looked at a startled Sango and nodded pointedly at Miroku, Kirara and Shippo who were watching the much anticipated battle. "Can you guys go set up camp somewhere?" she asked quietly. "Things are gonna get ugly here."

Sango nodded and marched off to tow the objecting spectators off towards a suitable campsite. Kagome waved at Sango in gratitude before turning towards the ignorant fighters still locked in combat. She waited until she was sure neither could get hurt before taking a deep breath and jumping into the fray.

"Inuyasha, SIT!" Ignoring the surprised curse followed by a dull thud and more muffled swearing, Kagome turned a sweet smile onto Kouga. The wolf demon gulped nervously at the scarily saccharine expression on the girl's face and tried to take a conspicuous step back. Kagome continued to advance on the demon with her sugary grin. Stopping a few feet away from the cringing Kouga, she dropped the mask, an angry scowl replacing the fake syrupy appearance as she jabbed a finger violently into his chest.

"Kouga, you—!"

"Don't you fucking _dare_ go near that wolf, Ka—!"

"Sit! I'll deal with you in a second, Inuyasha, now _shut up_ and _sit_ still!" She glared at the immobilized hanyou in satisfaction before turning onto Kouga. "What makes you think that you can just go and pull a stunt like that, you dumb wolf?!" Kouga all but whimpered at Kagome's tone and she felt a little guilty. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair and fixed another, less intense glower on the demon.

"I'm letting you off easy _this_ time, but that's only because I've had a _really_ trying day. You won't be so lucky next time!"

Kouga, feeling bold because of his light "punishment", couldn't help but quip with a cocky smirk, "'Next time'? Is that a proposition, Kagome?"

"No, it fucking ain't! Now fucking leave, Wolf-Shit!" Inuyasha snarled ferociously from his position on the ground when Kagome just spluttered at the wolf's words. Grinning in amusement, Kouga saluted them before disappearing in a tornado of dust and speeding back towards his caves.

As soon as the wolf left, Kagome felt nervousness creep up around her. Now it was just her and Inuyasha, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. She was confused, hurt, frustrated and borderline angry. She was sick of feeling this way, sick of not understanding what was going on, and tonight, it was going to end. Taking a calming breath, she turned to face the hanyou who stood where he had gotten sat, watching her unwaveringly with intense amber eyes. This was such a big change from being completely ignored and she fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

"Inuyasha, I want to know what's going on," she stated, eyes fixed on the ground just before his feet.

"You kissed him." Kagome flinched at the cold, flat tone of his voice, looking everywhere but his face as she wrung her hands.

"_He_ kissed _me_! You were there! You saw!"

"I saw that you didn't push him away. He's a demon, Kagome, and if you don't say 'no' clearly and maybe even forcefully, it's considered a 'yes'. I don't even wanna _think_ about what would've happened if I didn't pull you two apart."

Feeling her anger rising at his unjust accusation, she shot him an aggravated glare. "That's not fair!" she retorted hotly, cobalt eyes snapping. "I _did_ try and push him away, but I might as well have been trying to push against a freaking brick wall for all the good it did me! And FYI, _nothing_ would've happened cuz Kouga was only doing it to get a rise out of you!" Inuyasha opened his mouth to reply, his famous scowl plastered across his face, but Kagome cut him off. "Why does it matter, anyways?! I thought you said that it was none of your concern and you liked it that way! Didn't you tell me that you didn't care if I went with Kouga as long as I thought he was the right one for me? Huh?! Didn't you?!"

Inuyasha gaped at her, amber eyes wide as he stared at her incredulously. "You've _got_ to be kidding me!" he choked out, chuckling humorlessly. He shook his head disbelievingly as his expression darkened. "You stupid, _stupid_ girl. You just don't _get_ it do you?"

Kagome bristled at the insult, blue eyes blazing as they finally crashed with Inuyasha's darkened amber ones. "Obviously not," she hissed. "And if you don't start explaining _now_, I will _not_ hesitate to chase after Kouga and kiss him unti—oomph!"

Kagome suddenly found herself pinned roughly against the trunk of a tree off the side of the road, a blistering pair of amber-flecked-with-red orbs burning into her as she struggled to inflate her lungs that had emptied on impact. Matching the hanyou searing glare for searing glare, she didn't so much as wince when he bared his fangs and snarled inches away from her nose.

"Don't you even _dare_ try that fucking bullshit with me, Wench!" he roared furiously, his claws digging into the bark around her head heatedly.

"Why not?!" she challenged, her fingers clenching tightly into the front of his haori in frustration. "You said so yourself, you wouldn't care if—"

"Fuck, Kagome!" he snarled exasperatedly. "Do you believe _everything _I fucking say?! I fucking lied, okay?! I lied!" He panted, the anger seeping out of him suddenly and leaving him completely breathless as every one of his heavy exhalations wafted against Kagome's cheek. Kagome merely stared at him, stunned out of her fury. _He lied…? Why would he lie?_

Leaning forward, Inuyasha rested his forehead tiredly against her shoulder, hands dropping down to encircle her waist and press her tightly against him. "I tried, Kagome. I really tired. I'm sorry I'm making things difficult, but I can't. I just… can't." His voice was quivering with despair and he dug his face into her neck, inhaling her sweet scent greedily in an effort to calm down.

"W-what can't you do?" she stuttered uncertainly, fighting to ignore the shivers traveling up and down her spine at the feel of his hot breath against her neck. Relaxing one hand of its tight hold on his fire-rat haori, Kagome inched it upwards until it was running soothingly through his brilliantly white tresses.

Sighing contentedly as Kagome's fingers brushed out his hair, Inuyasha allowed himself a small reprieve before lifting up his head, meeting her eyes and bracing himself to answer her question.

"I can't let you be with another man." When she stiffened like he had expected, he tightened his hold on her as if afraid she was going to attempt to bolt. "I know it's selfish of me, but I can't help it! The very thought of you bestowing your brilliant smiles on another man, of you in his arms, of you cooking for him, or kissing him, or… _fucking_ him… the very thought of it all drives me to the brink of insanity and over the edge! I can't let you go! I tried, I really did. I tried to let you have Kouga, like you want to, but I couldn't. I can't lose the best thing that's ever happened to me."

After his short speech, Inuyasha leaned his forehead against hers, a grim smile speared across his lips. "Forgive me for my weaknesses, Kagome, but I won't let you go. You're mine and no one else's."

Kagome felt her heart thundering in her chest and she was torn between sobbing and laughing. In the end, she settled for a mix of both and giggled hysterically as tears streamed down her face. Inuyasha, thoroughly startled, didn't know what to do and decided that patting her back awkwardly was the best bet. After a long moment, Kagome looked up, locking with Inuyasha's golden eyes before beaming wetly.

"You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," she rasped, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears. Inuyasha blinked, confused by her words.

"B-but… I thought that you and Kouga…" Kagome couldn't help but laugh at his bewildered expression and smiled in apology when he scowled in offense.

"Oh, Inuyasha! What tangled webs we weave!" she giggled, giddy on the knowledge that the man she had been in love with for years cared for her at least enough to not want her to be with anyone else.

"What?" he snapped, getting annoyed with her giggling. Here he was, pretty much baring his soul to her and she had the gall to laugh and say such ridiculous things.

She let her giggles die away, knowing that Inuyasha was getting irritated, but couldn't get rid of her happy grin.

"Inuyasha, those dreams with Kouga—"

Inuyasha started, eyes opening wide in surprise before narrowing into a frown. "Kagome, I don't wanna hear about it!"

Kagome continued as if he had never interrupted, her grin faded to a small smile. "Were lies."

"I said I _don't_ wanna—wait, what?"

Cupping his cheek with her palm, Kagome stared softly into his eyes before whispering, "Every night, I used to have these _amazing _dreams. Ones where I was completely and utterly happy. I didn't want anyone to know about them, though, cuz it was kinda embarrassing to dream about kissing and doing silly stuff with someone who wouldn't wanna normally. So one day, when the person I dreamt about found out, I got defensive." Kagome smiled at the look of realization that entered Inuyasha's eyes but continued on with her story. "Especially when I thought he was just playing with my feelings, so when he wanted to confirm who my secret dream boy was, I blurted out the first lie that I could think of. Then through a multitude of wearisome events, I am ecstatic to say that my dreams have become reality."

Stroking his cheek with her thumb, she leaned up and kissed him gently on the nose. Seeing his ruffled reaction to that, she bit back a giggle and instead caught his eyes once again with hers. "Inuyasha, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he murmured, rubbing noses with her. She waited silently for a few minutes before clearing her throat. Blinking at the sudden sound, Inuyasha raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What?"

Huffing slightly, she fixed him with a half-hearted glare. "Don't you want to say something too?"

Furrowing his brow in genuine confusion, he cocked his head adorably to the side in contemplation. "Uh… should I?"

"Ugh! I just said sorry for lying and everything! Don't you want to say sorry too?" she blurted out in exasperation, smacking him lightly with her hand.

Grinning crookedly, he pretended to think it over before shaking his head. "Nah, I don't think I need to." Chuckling as she punched him this time, he conceded. "Alright, alright! I'm sorry too."

Nodding in satisfaction, she kissed him lightly on the chin but moved away when he attempted to claim her lips. "Ah, ah, ah!" she admonished playfully, smacking him on the nose softly as he pouted cutely. "We'll have none of that!"

"What?! Why not?" he whined, leaning forward and trying unsuccessfully to catch her evasive lips. "_Kouga_ got a kiss but _I_ don't?" Giggling at his griping, she squirmed to show she wanted him to loosen his grip. He did so, but not enough for her to be able to move much.

"C'mon, Inuyasha! Let's go somewhere else. I don't want our first kiss to be when I'm pinned to a tree," she muttered, rolling her eyes. Immediately, he tightened his arms around her and in a stomach dropping leap, they were high up in the tree. Adjusting so that she straddled his lap and he leaned against the trunk of the tree, he covered them with his large fire-rat sleeves as he pressed her tightly against his chest.

"Oh this is _so_ much better…" Kagome mumbled sarcastically, but snuggled in comfortably anyways.

"Keh! You bet it is." The two cuddled silently for a bit before Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's attention by tugging on a silver forelock. Grunting drowsily to let her know he was listening, he nuzzled her head affectionately.

Leaning up so that she was nose to nose with him, she smiled nervously as she cupped his face with both her hands. "Inuyasha, I… I love you." She saw him grin widely before she was crushed firmly to him.

"Oh Kagome, I love you too." Beaming at his words, she leaned back and ran her thumb along the contours of his face. Feeling a slight pressure at the back of her neck where Inuyasha's hand was located, she obliged and bent forward to tenderly press her lips against his. Inuyasha moaned happily against her mouth and angled her head to deepen the kiss. His tongue brushed against her bottom lip, pleading for entry which she granted eagerly. She gripped his lower lip gently in her teeth and nibbled lightly before succumbing to a sensual battle of the tongues. Eventually, Kagome surrendered, allowing Inuyasha to sweep his tongue erotically along the dips and bumps of her warm mouth.

Inuyasha slipped his free hand slowly up her blouse, tickling her lightly with the tips of his claws before gently closing around a full breast. Kagome groaned into his mouth, instinctively grinding her hips into his when his thumb began to tease her hardened nipple before kneading her breast contentedly. Loosening the ties of his traditional haori and shirt, she slid her hands reverently against his finely sculpted chest. She raked her nails softly across his nipples, causing his to gasp in pleasure, and was reaching down for the ties of his hakama when a soft inquiring voice cause the two passion struck teens to leap apart like terrified rabbits.

"Kagome? Are you okay?" Kagome panted heavily, leaning against Inuyasha's chest as she tried to calm her palpitating heart. Gripping Inuyasha's hand, she squeezed reassuringly before answering her friend's call.

"Yeah, Shippo. I'm fine. What is it?"

Shippo hesitated, reluctant to bother them but knowing that they must be starving considering they hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning. "Uh… Sango and Miroku told me to bring you to the camp for dinner…"

Kagome's stomach growled loudly at the mention of food and she giggled before telling Shippo that they would be down in a minute. Ignoring Inuyasha's grumbling about pestering kitsune brats, Kagome straightened her clothes and waited for Inuyasha to do the same before stealing one more kiss from him. Just as he was about to deepen it, she pulled back, smirking lightly at his irritated scowl before letting him gather her up to jump down to the ground.

Once there, Inuyasha proceeded to pound on poor Shippo's head and, taking pity on the poor boy, Kagome sat him and followed the scampering kitsune to the camp that her friends had made.

Lightly touching her lips, she allowed a small smile to form onto her lips as she thought about Inuyasha's mind blowing kisses. One thing was for sure; those dreams did _not_ do the handsome hanyou enough credit.

* * *

The End!

* * *

**A/N:** This is something that kinda just came to me when I was doing english homework and I had to get it out. I hope you enjoyed it and please review if you can!


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